It is truly breathtaking!

Destin Florida

Movin' In!

Yes, you read that right, we are moving in the furniture...time to make a home out of this house!

Good News! We passed our Inspection!

We got our C/O today- the Certifiacte of Occupancy! We passed! We are legal! All the GFI's worked, the smoke detectors worked and he loved the porch. Now the power company can drag out their poles and their cool machines and chew up some plants to bring us power!

It's so exciting!

DOING THE HAPPY DANCE

IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA :)

Woowhoo, we got the porch done!

The east side porch enclosure finished. The west side is soon to follow.
We really like the enclosure, it adds to the stature of the house and gives us more living space. Once we get it screened in, the cats will be in heaven! I'm thinking of putting my studio on this end since it has wonderful morning light by the time I get my day started, which in case you don't know me very well, isn't until 10am. It takes me a bit to get around in the mornings.

Plants I gathered to make new starts already adorn the porch. We are thinking of of making flower boxes along the exterior of the porch with trailing plants and flowers and probably some herbs and a few veggies here and there. Personally I can already invision Moonflowers glowing brightly in the night.
It will look really nice once we get it screened. Next we will have to work on the underpinning of the house. We have a few ideas in mind, just haven't decided exactly what we will use. We are open to ideas if you want to throw a few our way. I'm considering sheet metal, individual slates to simulate louvers, solid panels, or rock.

Charla helped me out and painted the last of the posts.
Brian helped Sonny get ready to install the panels.
You can tell from the look he is about to say something sarcastic.
Our Comedy Club hard at work on the last of the porch on the east side.
Our club patrons who stopped in to watch the show.

Flowers

Purple passion plant I brought up from Orlando.
The 4'oclocks my seed I brought from my Orlando plants.


Two roses on the same bush show how this rose changes every day.





The last one is Lantana I got at 50% off from Lowes last summer which I keep making new plants from.

Newman being a good boy on the porch. We are working on his social skills and training. He is so like his mom. Fast learner and very protective.

Brutus and Spike watching Sonny make their dinner. We had to add wire to the top of the cage because Spike can jump over the 6' fence. As it is, he is tearing up the additional top fencing.

Porch Project- the end of another day

I painted today on all the panels that Sonny cut yesterday afternoon. I managed to get halfway around the side and all of the front panels painted. We still have trim boards to cut and then we can get it all put together. We should get it mostly finished tomorrow.

This is the inside porch view. I haven't painted the insides yet. I want to get the exterior done first. BY the time I get them all done on the outside, it may be a bit cooler too.


The east side of the house and porch. After we screen it in, the cats will be moving out to sit around outside which I know they will enjoy. It will probably be the area I use as my studio.

Porch enclosure project

Our project begins.

Changes in the works

We had the inspector out to check our progress and he gave us a few items to work on.

One was finishing out the deck. Seems, if its over 30" from the ground, you have to have a rail and 4" posts. Well, we really did not like that idea nor wanted that look and we certainly didn't want to do it more than once, so we bit the bullet and decided to start on building it out with the design we had in mind and get it done so we could get our final inspection the next time he comes out.

You won't be able to fall off or through, unless you're one of those who sit on the rail. Then if you fall off, its your own fault.

This is the porch as it was before we started last week.

The stuff on the porch will be going to the barn soon. Before one of those hurricanes come this way.

Never a dull moment around here.

Live Forever

It's blooming! It must like florida :)

Brought this one back from St. Mary's in Atchison, Ks.

OREO!!!

Isn't she cute? When you scratch her back, she lays down. She eats like a pig! Over four feet long! We estimate she is about 200 lbs.. give or take.

A Summer Beauty

One of the plants I came back from Kansas with this last spring. My sister got it from St. Mary annual plant sale in Atchison, KS. She got two of everything and we split them.

I have no idea what these are since the wind blew away my tag.
Where is that garden journal?

...I will have to look for it and start using it.

Even a kitchen sink

Sonny installing our sink. I love the faucet, it's great. The sink is deep so it will be easy to fill those large pots.

More drainage added to our field

Since it seems we are in the age of noone doing their job as they are suppose to do and laymen like us not knowing the difference, we had to have the septic company add more lines to our drain field.













The guy who did it orginally was contracted out and when he did the work, he told us that it was good for a family of 8. Well, that seems to be a lie.

The health department didn't like what we had. We had a receipt of what we paid for and the owner of the company came out and checked. Sure enough, not enough field! ARGH!



So yeasterday, Billy Arnett of Arnett Septic was out to add another line. He didn't charge us either for the extra work and field. The health department on his heals to check it out and gave us a passing grade :) FINALLY!

Thanks Billy!!!

Pictures are fuzzing because of the heat and humidity.

Well look at Ms Oreo Piggy

She is getting longer at least... a couple more months to fatten her up.

Welcome to Liberty Retreat!

- LIBERTY RETREAT-

"Project Cloud 69.” is now officially named "Liberty Retreat"

Our cash only homesteading of 10 unimproved acres in the Florida panhandle has turned into a home, now we are ready for you. Primitive camping sites are now available, as green as you get and soon we start the build of smaller green cottages for membership only term rentals.

Liberty Retreat is now accepting reservations for *PRIMITIVE Camping sites.

August 2008

Reservations are being accepted for primitive camping on our homestead in Northwest Florida.

Time to take a break and get back to nature. Come camping with us in Northwest Florida. We are located right off Interstate I-10, close to small town living and fast paced places like Destin, Ft. Walton Beach, Rosemary's Beach with all the amenities one could ask for like shopping, great food & entertainment, great State Parks, hot springs, caves and a bunch of lakes for the fisherman if the white sandy beaches with the emerald waters of the gulf don't suck you in.

Hot spots like Panama City Beach & Pensacola are only an hour away!

There are so many things I could list!

If you want to know more... check out our website!

LIBERTY RETREAT

Email us for more information on our Primitive camping spots and we welcome questions regarding a **Liberty Retreat Membership for our ***Liberty Retreat Cottages.

Available Fall 09

Reserve your spot now!

Liberty Retreat Cottages

Memberships and reservations are being accepted now. Membership fee and rental deposit is required in order to reserve your cottage rental.

fyi-

*Primitive- It's a jungle out there. Ok, really it is a forest. You get trees, bugs, weather, and an occasional wild critter or domestic animal.

**Liberty Retreat Memberships reserves your cottage for your visit to Northwest Florida, guaranteed accomondations for every year you sign up.

*** Liberty Retreat Cottages are for members only, not available to short term campers or those not a Liberty Retreat member.

Sunrise @ Liberty Retreat

The sun is just creeping over the tree tops @ 6:30 am

Banana, Tomatoes and Lettuce, gone to seed

The patio plants didn't fair so well while I was gone. I will be harvesting these little jewels for dinner tonight. Sauteed tomatoes, peppers and celery over rice with bratts for dinner?

The Banana is coming right along. Think we will see fruit this January?

Our 1st peach!

Just one peach on the tree. I just planted it this spring.

I can't wait to taste it. Sure is a pretty peach.

That is one big Cookie!

Oreo this morning at breakfast. She has taken to wallering now in the muck and the mud.

Big Pig